Matthew and Andrew

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Andrew Bryson and Matthew Marshall are riding bicycles across the United States to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
All of the daily/weekly updates will be made on this blog as well as videos and pictures.
Enjoy! and Please donate/spread the word. www.pedalacross.com

Saturday, May 16, 2009

"New" Mexico is getting Old. Time for OK!

We stayed in Taos, NM for a night. Getting there was probably the most painful ride we've both suffered through. The climb caused both of us to wonder if our knees would even last another day on this trip. When we reached the top, the view was absolutely breathtaking (pictures to come).

Leaving Taos for Eagle Nest, NM we didn't really know what to expect. Just the name "Eagle Nest", sounded high up. On our way there we traveled gradually uphill by fields full of paranoid gophers and small streams. Usually when we spend hours climbing, we just hope that the summit elevation sign is just around the corner. This time, we were both shocked to reach "Palo Flechado Pass" towering at 9,101 feet above sea level. While celebrating with cliff bars and snacks, a van from a local tourist company was dropping off cyclists so that they can enjoy the downhill. We earned our downhill, and enjoyed it at high speeds.

On our way across the valley, Andrew had an unfortunate accident. He fell off of his bike and was out of commision briefly with some cuts and bruises. He is alright now, but we stayed the night in Eagle Nest instead of continuing on for the day so he could rest. We found out shortly there after that our laptop did not survive the accident. We are going to have a harder time posting as often, but as always we will do our best.

Out of Eagle Nest, we were pampered with almost 20 miles of downhill and windless flat land. The terrain was starting to flatten and look a lot more appealing to us. We were certain our 65 mile goal for the day would come easy. WRONG. Right after a water stop in Springer, NM we were hit with the hardest headwind yet (it took almost 3 hours to ride 17 miles). We camped in high winds and slept like champions.

...We're now in Clayton, NM. This is our last town in this state and we're ready to move on. We've met a lot of great people here, just tonight while getting dinner and getting a hotel room. We appreciate everyone's support both out here and back home.

Make sure you continue to spread the word...The donations never stop and for that we are thankful.

Oklahoma is next, stay tuned.

[This post was made possible by the Best Western in Clayton, NM --Thanks guys]

2 comments:

Glad to hear you are both safe and still enjoying the journey. We admire your stamina and spirit of adventure.The friends you make along the way will last a lifetime.Two of of your many friends in Brevard, NC -- UUTC.Raoul & Veronica Gagne